Vaccines: From Concept to Immunization
Online Technical Short Course

Now Enrolling: October 2020


Enroll Today

 

 

 

Course Description:

This 4-week technical short course introduces students to the concepts and challenges in vaccine development and emphasizes their importance as the most effective medical intervention strategies to prevent death and disease. Topics covered include vaccine design, production and assessment in clinical trials, vaccine safety, new vaccination approaches, case studies of recently introduced vaccines, ethical considerations, vaccine economics, and understanding of major global vaccine impact at many levels. These concepts will be discussed in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and its outcomes for the future of disease prevention and mitigation. Using individual, group, and whole class learning strategies, the course includes planned activities, while also providing students a forum to raise and address their own questions and learning issues that arise from lecture and outside assignments. Students are given the opportunity to work cooperatively as a team, and develop critical thinking skills, while applying scientific concepts to unique problems.

LEARN MORE by downloading our on-demand webinar 

Logistics

  • Duration: 4 weeks
  • Dates and time: October 1-22, 2020 (Thursdays, 7-9 pm)
  • Online Delivery:
    • 2 hours synchronous (live) discussion on Thursdays
    • 2 hours of asynchronous engagement per week (including recorded lectures, discussion boards, and short quizzes)
    • Credits: This is a non-credit course
    • Tuition: $895

    Topics

    • Intro to Basic Immunology (immune response to viruses and bacteria, mechanism of action for various pathogens, case studies/examples of unusually pathogenic microbes) 
    • Types of Vaccines (Recombinant, DNA, RNA, Inactivated, Live, Passive Transfer of Antibodies, etc.)
    • How Vaccinations Work (how do we equip the body to fight infection, review “at risk” populations, vaccines for rare diseases)
    • Why Vaccines Fail (Scientific and Social Reasons, Anti-Vax movement, Herd Immunity, Reinfection)
    • Vaccine Development Process (R&D, Formulation, Process compared to Drug Development, Case studies of HPV and childhood diseases)
    • Vaccine Manufacturing
    • Vaccine Clinical Trials
    • Vaccine Regulation (FDA) Globalization, Outsourcing Concerns, International Cooperation
      • PPE Equipment (China) Diagnostic Testing (WHO, CDC, Public vs. Private Labs & Universities) Vaccine Manufacturing (India)

    For questions, please contact: 

    Catherine Bouthillier
    Senior Manager, Healthcare Corporate Partnerships, WPI
    cbouthillier@wpi.edu

     

     

    Got 7 minutes? Take this short survey and help improve the
    grad-school-research experience for you and your peers. Take the Survey.

I'm ready to learn more

Please fill out the form and a member of our team will be in contact soon with more information. 

We collect information on our website and other third party sources to create a unique record of your interest in WPI’s graduate programs.  The information you submit is shared with WPI employees who are involved in evaluating your candidacy as well as third party services and vendors who handle communications on our behalf.  This information is stored indefinitely.